Taiwan's agricultural authorities say they have successfully developed variously coloured new strains of rice enriched with nutrients.
The strains of rice, which are not genetically modified, are available in a dozen colours, including black, red and yellow. The colour depends on the nutrients they contain, such as beta-carotene and anthocyanins, an anti-oxidant, agricultural researchers say.
Eight years of experiments
They are the result of nearly eight years of experiments to induce mutations in rice using chemical agents, according to the government's Taiwan Agriculture Research Institute (TARI).
TARI researchers stress the new strains are different from the beta-carotene enriched "golden rice" containing genes from daffodils, which was developed by two European scientists in late 1990s.
"As they (the locally developed rice) are not genetically modified products, the safety concerns surrounding transgenic crops do not apply here," said Wang Chiang-sheng, chief of TARI's Department of Agronomy who leads the research team.
Genetically modified foods are unpopular with many consumers and many countries, including the European Union, which currently bans their importation.
High economic value
"The new strains of rice will have high economic value if we can go further to commercialise them," Wang added.
TARI Director-General Lin Chien-yih said the institute planned to promote mass production of the rice after completing the patent and naming procedures next year.
To boost its market potential, TARI would also try to improve the taste of the new product, which Lin said now was similar to unpolished rice.